Firestarters

[Ranger]

+1 on cotton and petroleum jelly-cheap and can carry a lot in a small container.

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

[BigBear]

Firestarters?.. Let's see. Bob. Likes to use a good soaking in kerosene before lighting from his zippo... Oh wait, you mean we aren't talking about arsonists?... crap... Let me go lock my doors.

[Irving]

I didn't like the dryer lint because it didn't seem as flammable as the cotton balls. I guess I could try it again though.

[StagLefty]

Dryer lint was my preferred method until I started using cb/pj-with the cotton soaked with pj if you pull it apart so you have fibers sticking out it will light real easy. Dryer lint doesn't seem to have the fibers needed to me.Fibrosity
If Sara can make up words so can I.

[Krasni]

I try to collect the lint from all cotton loads, if that helps. I will have to experiment with the cotton balls/vaseline.

[Irving]

Okay, so I was watching Man, Woman, Wild tonight and they started a fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool in about the same amount of time as it would have taken with a lighter. Just the other day I found a fist sized wad of steel wool near my tool box.

So I got out an old 9 volt I knew I had and the steel wool. Using the battery, the steel wool, and some toilet paper, I just CAN NOT get a spark to catch the toilet paper. I tried for so long that the battery became very hot and I set it down so it wouldn't blow up in my face. I managed to char the toilet paper at one point, but no flames. Any tips?

[Irving]

I've given up on the Steel wool + 9 volt battery for now (made two honest attempts). I just lit the TP with a lighter to warm my hands and boost my spirits (that's what my survival book says!).

So I went outside and got my budding bug out bag. I broke a branch off the bush outside my front door, took a wooden dowel from a broken chair, and set to making a fire bow. I had a knife and some paracord in my BO bag. For the first attempt, I've done pretty well; after I got the hang of everything. I managed to get a lot of smoke and stink up our house, but no coal yet. I think the piece of wood I've been using is starting to rot because it is way dry and soft. I'm going to go get a piece of pine fire wood from outside and try again.

Trying all this fire stuff is great! Thanks for the idea to finally try the firebow Ranger!

[StagLefty]

Okay, so I was watching Man, Woman, Wild tonight and they started a fire with a 9 volt battery and steel wool in about the same amount of time as it would have taken with a lighter. Just the other day I found a fist sized wad of steel wool near my tool box.

So I got out an old 9 volt I knew I had and the steel wool. Using the battery, the steel wool, and some toilet paper, I just CAN NOT get a spark to catch the toilet paper. I tried for so long that the battery became very hot and I set it down so it wouldn't blow up in my face. I managed to char the toilet paper at one point, but no flames. Any tips?

You need extra fine steel wool for this to work.

[StagLefty]

Actually, aside from a fire bow, this is my least favorite method. It's great if you have a flame and want to keep it going for a while, but not so easy to simply drop a spark on it and have it go - the char cloth is the best method for me, then if it's wet out and I need a bit more staying power on that flame then the petroleum jelly cotton balls are a welcome sight.

I have an ESEE fire kit that has a misch rod-just messing around the other day with it and 1 spark lighting with cotton/pj balls.I like them because once lit they give you a good enough burn time to get your tinder going and build from there.JMHO